How To Clean Bbq Grill After Use

The sun's out and you're about to dust off your BBQ from last year for a feast in the garden, or alternatively, you've spent all day and evening barbecuing (and rustling up some tasty BBQ lamb burgers with beetroot relish), but now the night is over and all that remains is a dirty barbecue.

Whatever scenario you find yourself in, we all want to know the best way to clean a barbecue, and remove all the grease and grime in the process? Luckily for you, many items in your kitchen and around the home will act as the perfect cleaning agents (including onion and coffee). Whether you have a freestanding BBQ or a mini portable one, follow these clever cleaning hacks from Garden Buildings Direct and Buster, and you'll have a sparkling grill and clean BBQ in no time.

1. STEAM CLEAN

If you've been using your BBQ for the day, once it has started to cool down, cover the grill with water-soaked newspaper and close the lid. Leave it shut for 30 minutes to give it a good steam clean. – Garden Buildings Direct

2. USE THE DISHWASHER

Unless your BBQ is huge, the hotplates should fit nicely into the dishwasher. Set it to a pot wash cycle and they should come out as new. Again, try to clean them whilst warm to get the best results. – Buster

3. USE AN ONION

While there's still some heat in your grill, attach an onion to a fork and rub over the hot bars. The water in the onion steam cleans them and removes any stuck-on food. – Garden Buildings Direct

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4. VINEGAR SPRAY

Mix 500ml of vinegar and the same amount of water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the grill and leave for 10 minutes. Empty the bottle, refill with vinegar, spray on and then scrub to clean the grill and its interior. – Garden Buildings Direct

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5. COFFEE CLEANER

Try soaking your grill and utensils in coffee for hard-to-remove food remains. The acid in the coffee loosens up the caked-on dirt. – Garden Buildings Direct

Brett Holmes Photography Getty Images

6. BAKING SODA

Sprinkle baking soda on the grill and dissolve some in water. Use a sponge with a scourer to scrub until all the baking soda is gone and the grill is sparkling. – Garden Buildings Direct

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7. BEER

Pour half a bottle of beer onto a warm grill and scrub with some newspaper or a wire brush. In no time, your grill will be sparkling. – Garden Buildings Direct

Cleaning a grill. Male hand with gloves cleans stiff brush round grill before cooking. scrubbing utensil used for cleaning a dirty grill

Imagesines Getty Images

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8. HOT WATER & FOIL

If there are still remains on your grill, scrub them in hot, soapy water. If you don't have a BBQ grill brush, scrunch up some foil and use that instead. – Garden Buildings Direct

9. CLEAN THE BASE

It's important to remove old ash and coals before you start cooking again. Tip them into a bucket and use damp kitchen towels to pick up any remains. Then give it a good wash down with warm, soapy water. – Garden Buildings Direct

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10. DISPOSE OF FAT AND OIL CORRECTLY

Scrape fats, oils and grease that have cooled into a container or newspaper before binning them. It's a good idea to keep a 'fat trap' or container in the kitchen to collect waste fats, oils and grease. Many water companies will provide you with a free fat trap. Mix cooking oil with absorbent material such as cat litter or coffee grounds, and then throw it away in the bin. – Buster

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11. SCRUB OUTSIDE

Once the inside of your BBQ is sparkling, don't forget to give the outside a good wash down. Hot soapy water and plenty of elbow grease is all you will need for this. – Garden Buildings Direct

12. HEAT IT UP

When you're finished cleaning make sure you heat the BBQ for at least 15 minutes. This will ensure any residual cleaning agents are burnt off and won't compromise food taste when next used for cooking. – Buster

Remember...

Protect your barbecue and keep it clean until you need to take it out again. Invest in a simple weather-resistant BBQ cover. This AmazonBasics Gas Grill Cover should do the job.

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18 garden furniture sets perfect for your outdoor space

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Olivia Heath Executive Digital Editor, House Beautiful UK Olivia Heath is the Executive Digital Editor at House Beautiful UK where she's busy uncovering tomorrow's biggest home trends, all whilst delivering stylish room inspiration, small space solutions, easy garden ideas and house tours of the hottest properties on the market.

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